Yes
By Andrew
We live in a time that social media is the outlet for the majority of breaking news as well as the window inside the lives of some our favorite entertainers. Dwayne Johnson’s Instagram is priceless, Chris Pratt on Snapchat is over the top hilarious, and with a single Tweet Kim Kardashian can allegedly “break the internet”. There are a handful of people however that take advantage of the popularity of the proverbial soap box and use it for negative connotations.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers were busy this off-season doing as much as possible building up the defense in weak areas, one of which was at the corner back position with Brent Grimes. With this acquisition though comes his wife, Miko Grimes. Typically NFL wives are a non issue, but Miko has done her far share of Twitter rants that brought negative attention towards the couple. Miko was a controversial radio host during Brent’s time in Miami and has used any platform she can to get her unfiltered opinion out there. She holds nothing back in her tweets and blog posts geared toward the NFL and any team her husband is currently rostered. Even the Pro Bowl has not been off limits for her rants. Recently, Miko trashed fans of other sports, NFL players and then made antisemitic remarks regarding Miami Dolphins owner being Jewish. She claims in her blog she is misunderstood and comes from a good place, most of the time, and doesn’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings.
In the world we live in today, there are an abundance of people who get their feelings hurt over anything and everything that is said. Especially in media, you should add professional egg shell walker as an attribute. Having a filter is a must or else things can get pretty ugly for you quickly. For Miko, her off the field and behind the scene altercations have her in a serious predicament. As she continues down this path it hurts no one but the person she is trying to defend. Miko continues to have insert foot into mouth moments but without inserting the foot, she just keeps going. Another concerning point is that she is very detailed in her rants. Being an NFL wife, she is allowed access of certain information by talking to her husband and gets the behind closed doors look that many fans only dream of. Does her outrage carry weight? Are her out bursts justified? Either way something has to give, and according to Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross it already did. Stephen said that Miko’s actions were attributed to Brent’s release from the team making him a free agent. Miko has to put a cap on her opinions or at least a filter, no matter who they are geared towards. In case she forgot who her husband works for now, Buccaneer ownership is also Jewish. Starting this new relationship off on the wrong foot is not where it needs to be. Miko has shown no signs of slowing down anytime, and that’s not something the Bucs organization can afford right now. Brent has to try and talk some reason into her or else this relationship with the Bucs will be the same as before, with cut ties.
No
by Ed
I know what you’re thinking, “Miko Grimes is auditioning for the new reality series ‘Football Wives’. Well, maybe not, but Mrs. Grimes latest vitriol towards her husband’s former team, I’m sure the fanbase of Pewter Nation is wondering if this will have an affect on Brent’s play. A lot of sports figures have had outspoken spouses, from Eric Decker to Tom Brady. In the case of Marshawn Lynch, his mother spoke on his behalf. Yet in my mind, it doesn’t really look to good when the Mrs continues to bad mouth the Dolphins or the Shield in general.
While this doesn’t necessarily speak to the man himself, his play on the football field certainly does. Despite any acrimony from his time in South Beach, his last three seasons in Miami were very productive. Starting every game since 2013, Grimes amassed 141 tackles, 43 passes defended, and 13 picks. To me this is the type of veteran leadership that Tampa Bay has been sorely lacking the last several seasons. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have a Pro Bowl quarterback and running back leading the offense to actually take pressure off of the defense.
Not everything in the sports world is going to be peaches and cream. Remember, the NFL is and always will be a business before anything else. Miko Grimes could be a distraction if things were to go south between Brent and the Bucs. Truthfully though, Brent should talk to his better half behind closed doors in regards to how to handle situations as it pertains to his professional career. Social media has given everyone a voice, and the spotlight shines on professional athletes and their loved ones. It hasn’t happened yet, but there may come a point where a team or the league will fine players for what relatives and known associates say publicly. Until then, if Brent can keep Miko off of Twitter, there should be no “wifey’ issues in Tampa.
